Both Scott Sattler and Phil Gould have come out in defence and praise of Roosters enforcer, Jared Waerea-Hargreaves following his controversial sin-binning last week.
Waerea-Hargreaves was sent from the field after a couple of heated encounters with Storm prop Nelson Asofa-Solomona escalated into physical encounters between the two sides.
Despite criticism from some corners in the aftermath of the contest, speaking on the Fox League Podcast, 2003 Penrith premiership hero Scott Sattler heaped praise on Waerea-Hargreaves and his aggressive style of play.
“I love the way he takes opposition sides on, it’s like a one-man army," Sattler said.
"He actually reminds me a little bit of my father as a player, where you talk about being the protector. He’s a little bit like the silverback gorilla isn’t he?”
Sattler's father John was the 69th inductee into the Rugby League Hall of Fame and was a renowned hardman, who battled through a broken jaw to win South Sydney the 1970 Grand Final.
"I love (Waerea-Hargreaves) passion, I love his emotion, I love the love that he’s got for his teammates. I love how he has so much pride in that club and in that jersey," Sattler continued.
“Imagine being a young player going into that club. If you’ve got half a little cocky step in you early on in your career, someone like Jared would clip you pretty early to say 'toe the line, because if you don’t you’ll be finding another club.'"
Waerea-Hargreaves' aggressive play style also caught the attention of Bulldogs General Manager of Football Phil Gould, who was heavily critical of the prop forward being handed a 10-minute spell during last week's Storm clash.
"I still don't know why Jared Waerea-Hargreaves was sent from the field the other night. I still don't know why," Gould said on his podcast Six Tackles with Gus.
"This is the political correctness that our game now is. The people that they're trying to appease or protect, a lot of them don't even love our game."
The veteran Roosters forward will lead the Tri-colours' pack in Friday's game against the South Sydney Rabbitohs at the opening of the new Sydney Football Stadium.
